Fixing what's broken (offseason ideas open thread)
by Tim C. on May 1, 2009 11:30 PM CDT
in Spurs News
Email
PrintI want to start this off by saying how much I appreciate the open forum we have here at PtR. In that spirit, I am posting as much information as I can come up with and linking a few of the other posts around the spurs-o-net that discuss the offseason(at least, the ones I've seen). Also, feel free to use the comments for any suggestions/ideas you have. It's fun to put ourselves in RC's shoes and speculate on what he's going to do, and I'd like to extend an open invitation to everyone here to participate.
There's already been some great fanposts on this subject, some with amusing titles, and a very good one from TDTPMG, which was cross-posted at his own blog, live above mediocrity. If you can stand it, there's also SpursTalk.
There's also been the usual excellent analysis over at 48 Minutes of Hell, including an article about some relatively unknown Euros(a Spurs front office specialty) - but really, they've outdone themselves already with the analysis, and I'm sure they're not even close to being done.
And then there are the "professionals" over at the Express-News. I'm singling out an interesting article on the possibility that Bruce Bowen may want out, and Jeff McDonald's roster analysis as points of intrigue.
I'm going to offer my own perspective on the Spurs' predicament in this post, and things are not gumdrops and lollipops for me. The Spurs have stopped playing Spurs basketball, and it's high time we got it back. How does that happen?
It all starts on defense - these are still the San Antonio Spurs, right? Remember the "boring/dirty/slow" monikers the Spurs used to have? I loved those days, because the opponent was always being suffocated, giving the Spurs a mental edge like no other. Then you could always count on opposing players to use those terms to describe the way our Spurs punished them for trying to score.
You'll notice Tony Parker is confused in the photo there. That's because he's been playing the same kind of defense he always has - mediocre. The difference in the past was that the other Spurs on the floor could effectively "hide" Tony on defense. Not so anymore - we have more mediocre, and even outright bad defensive players on this team than ever. Two of them were our starting forwards this season in the name of more offense, which was not provided. This has to be nipped in the bud, now. I want to see SPURS basketball return to what it does best - destroy the psyche of the opponents through stifling, merciless defense.
That's my overall view of the situation - now for some [hack] positional analysis, after the jump.
I'll start with the areas of greatest need and work my way down from there.
Small Forward
Current Roster:
Bruce Bowen: The demon of defense. He needs to stick around, whether he still plays or becomes an assistant coach. Imagine Bruce teaching the likes of Williams/Hairston/Gist/[insert free agent name here] how to play SPURS Defense.
Michael Finley: Still has a decent shooting touch, but that's about it. He tries, but he's terrible on defense at this point. I wouldn't mind seeing him back, but not as a starter.
Ime Udoka: We'll keep either Bruce or Ime[maybe even neither]. Bruce is still under contract, Ime's a free agent - that seems to point in the direction of Ime not coming back. I'm not opposed to keeping him around, as long as it isn't at the expense of a younger, more athletic player.
Other Possibilities
Malik Hairston: I have a lot of hope for this kid. If he ever develops a jump shot, his ridiculous athletic abilities would make him quite an asset. He's a bit undersized for a SF, however, and could be used at SG.
Marcus Williams: This guy is a bit of an enigma - we drafted him a few years back, then he sort of disappeared. He showed some promise in Austin, but didn't get much of an oppurtunity with the Spurs this season. I think the Spurs were playing "keep away" with him, so they could bring him back. Let's hope the things we keep hearing about his ballhandling and decision-making are right
That's right, lay it up - Pop won't play you if you dunk it.
James Gist: One of our 2008 draft picks, his play in Italy has been drawing a lot of praise, particularly for his defense. That's encouraging, but expect him to play for the Toros, not the Spurs, next season.
Trevor Ariza: Ariza is not the greatest shooter - but he's a good, athletic SF that we should at least pursue. He leads LA in steals, and generally is at his best creating havoc on the defensive end. The Lakers will probably match our offer if it's too low, but this kid can play. He'll only be 24 next season - the time to steal him is now.
Linas Kleiza: Denver is loaded at SF, and might bite on a trade for this guy. This would give us good size at SF, and Kleiza's PER is pretty unbelievable. He only makes $2.7M next year.
Power Forward
Current roster:
Matt Bonner: This guy can't play defense, post up, or rebound. He can hit 3-point shots... sometimes. Look for him to be shipped out if 'Sheed comes on board.
Fabricio Oberto: Fab has been good for us, even though he wasn't considered NBA-quality by a lot of other teams. However, after the heart trouble he's had, maybe he should just call it quits.
Kurt Thomas: He's worth what we pay him, no more. He's good, not great, at defending in the post and rebounding, even the occasional offensive board. He'll probably stick around unless we can trade him(along with other pieces) for Camby.
Other Possibilities
Rasheed Wallace: A lot has been made of 'Sheed wanting to join the Spurs. I certainly wouldn't mind, if the price is right. I wouldn't want him starting and playing a lot of minutes, though - we're old enough as is. Imagine him in an Horry-type role, with an f-you attitude to boot.
Are you sure we can't still sign Scola?
Center
Current roster
Tim Duncan: He still has it, as evidenced by the last game of the regular season, and games 4 & 5 against Dallas. But, I'd like to see him move over and play his natural position of PF. That requires us either making a big trade, or using Ian as a starter(see below)
Ian Mahinmi: This kid is the biggest key to whether we will be a better team next season. I think he needs to be in the starting lineup(with Duncan back at PF) at the beginnng of the season, to accelerate the learning curve. It's time for the Big Frenchman and the Little Frenchman to play together.
Drew Gooden: Drew has some good skills on the offensive end, and I would rather keep him than Bonner. However, it's all going to hinge on how much money he wants. The ball's in your court, Drew.
Other Possibilities
Marcus Camby: This would be a dream come true. The thought of Camby and Duncan roaming the paint should rightly strike fear into anyone who ventures into their realm.
Tyson Chandler: New Orleans is likely still looking to trade Chandler. If(and only if) he's healthy, this would be a very good partner in crime for Duncan, emphasis on his defensive abilities
Rasho Nesterovic: WHAT? Seriously? OK, so this is not an ideal option, but his defensive presence would be enough to patch up some of the leaks we had in the middle this season, though I'd rather go with a better option if possible.
Tiago Splitter: It's a longshot, but the Spurs could conceivably sign him over the summer. This would instantly give us an option somewhere between the defensive skill levels of Camby and Rasho, but with some offense to boot. My bet is the Spurs wait 'til next summer, though. The idea of a Mahinmi/Splitter combo gives me chills.
Point Guard
Current Roster
Tony Parker: Tony isn't going anywhere. He's now the most important member of the big 3, if we're speaking honestly about the Spurs' long-term situation. He set career highs in points and assists this season, with a long stretch of dominance from the all-star break on. Fingers crossed on no injuries from his time with the French national team this summer.
George Hill: I know it kills Pop to call Cubits a point guard, but that's the postion he's best suited for. I see him backing up Tony, and occasionally Roger, with Manu sliding over to the 3 on those [hopefully rare] occasions. He needs to develop his decision making and finishing skills a little better, though.
Jacque Vaughn: He better not be back. That's all you need to know. Doesn't he have another "precious" ring to lust after anyway?
Other Possibilities:
Anthony Carter: I'd imagine that with Pop's confidence in Hill non-existent, and the disaster that is Roger Mason at PG, the Spurs will be looking for a veteran PG to fill out the roster. Here's a guy they could get on the cheap, who's old but doesn't suck as bad as the JV.
Shooting Guard
Current Roster:
Roger Mason: Roger is a shooting guard, Pop. And he's one hell of a shooter. I expect him to be back unless an irresistable trade deal beckons. Also, does anyone else think his hair makes him look a bit like the Tanqueray guy?
Manu Ginobili: The foremost of all deities in the PtR pantheon. We must all pray for Manu to save the season.
Other Possibilities
Ben Gordon: This has been suggested quite a few times lately, but I don't like it at all. He's going to want too much money, and he won't play defense. I honestly don't believe we need any more depth at this position, since Hill should be able to pick up the slack.
_________________________________________________________________
There's also the draft, but I won't speculate on that until it gets closer. Maybe we can replenish our farm system.
So that's what I have so far. There's no way I could ever include all possibilities, so I leave that to you. As stated in the beginning of this post, I would love to hear everyone else's ideas. Discuss away!
58 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Great post, rik.
I agree with just about everything you said. Ariza is a favorite of mine, he’s a guy that always seems to find new ways of helping in the clutch, be it a timely steal, a thunderous dunk or a dagger three. He’s a Spur.
Ben Gordon, though? He’s basically Roger Mason with the ability to drive into the lane. He’d be good, but we need SFs and Cs, not SGs. You’d be hating the midget in no time, I promise you.
I doubt much will happen in the second round of the draft.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Anyone who saw game 7 of Bulls-Celtics knows why we’d hate Gordon if he was a Spur.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Yeah, I know. Just agreeing with you.
Also, his name has been mentioned by other people, and at SpursTalk. Thought it merited some reinforcement.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Hmm. The “you” in my first post was meant to be in general. As in, “you guys”, not “you rikiddo, author of the post”.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Shit I just deleted my Pugilist post by accident. I suck. Ah well…
Awesome post rik,
Now I’m curious what you think we should do this off season. Lay it on us. Me, what do I think? Glad you asked. Well what we need to do is “cut the dead weight” as Caphill put it. And infuse our team with youth. Youth that addresses our needs-especially shotblocking and rebounding. Did you see how effective Timmy was with his outside shots in the Mavs series? Imagine if he could go the entire season doing that for the most part- just roaming free, no stress on the knees, stretching the opposing defense and relying on another big to clean the glass. I hope Ian is the answer there but I would REALLY like to see us make a move for Tyson Chandler. THe Hornets are dying to clear cap space and despite their fans’ biggest fears I doubt they’ll get rid of Paul.
At the small forward position I see us sucking a lot. But that is fine with me if we address our center spot. I can live with a small forward by committee with Bruce, Ime, Gist and Finley but only and I mean ONLY if we land Chandler or Camby. If we don’t and we still have midget centers (Boner and KT) next year then we need to trade for a stud small forward like Jefferson or Vince Carter to compensate for our defense that will once again be a pile of poop. I’m no poop-smith but our defense was poop right?
Rasheed? Not on that bandwagon. Drew? I like him if he plays for cheap. He gives us a deap bench. Ariza? I think he is just what we need but I think he’ll demand too much mula. Manu? Oh how I love thee…..sorry I just had to get that in there.
...formerly known as speedostuffer
But Vince Carter doesn’t play defense, in fact, he’s not interested in much that doesn’t include offense:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/vince_carter_hires_on_court
My tapeworm tells me what to do.
You deleted your own post? The heck were you trying to do? I could try and check my temp files folder…
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Great article man. It’s sad to see that we have options in Splitter and Gist but they won’t make it to the Spurs. I hope Mahinmi can ball. Of all the options, I like Camby and Chandler the best, but I don’t know about Chadler’s health… Of course, if Rasheed were to sign up just to get a ring, and he decided he would give a shit, I’d take him over those two. With him though, you never know.
It makes me a little sad that Fab has to go but…he has to go. The JV is currently being investigated by physicists as he could be the first ever case of a black hole on earth.
If Bonner is gonna keep pulling these choke jobs in the playoffs, he has to go to.
Finley…like you said, only if he doesn’t start. I like KT, the guy can hustle and he’s good coming off the bench.
Hill…I want to move to Vermont and gay marry him. So I expect Pop to bench him just because.
But at the end of the day, I don’t know. We always get ourselves all excited about trades, and then nothing happens. The Spurs aren’t exactly known for making big moves. LA probably doesn’t want Ariza to go, and their owner has more dough than we do. Let’s see if at least we make a move, any move at all.
My tapeworm tells me what to do.
by Hipuks on May 2, 2009 1:33 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
A lot of what LA does will depend on if they win the championship. Doing so means everyone thinks they deserve big dollars but also may make role players more willing to return to defend it and try to have Kobe carry them to another. Falling short means perhaps role player changes and maybe that makes getting Ariza and/or Shannon Brown more realistic.
We’re set at the 1 and 2 with Tony, Manu, Hill, and Mason. In fact, those are four of our best five players, and all need minutes, but they obviously can’t all play together. Mason and Manu are not big enough to play extended minutes at the the three spot, especially if we’re undersized at the four with Bonner as well.
I like Hairston fine, but I doubt he beats out any one of those four other guys.
Bringing in Rasheed Wallace to play alongside Duncan helps not only solidify the 4/5 spots, but also automatically makes the 3 spot better by allowing us to play three of our guards together without giving up too much size. Camby and Chandler help as well, but I don’t think those guys are realistically available.
I’ve just about given up on Mahinmi. Perhaps he’s just been unlucky, and will wow us all with his athleticism on the court this year. Perhaps (and this is what I think) his ligaments and joints and whatnot are unfortunately fragile, and he will always be plagued by injury, leaving us tantalized by his promise.
I would love to see Gist come over and get minutes at the three. I used to love that we would often have a size advantage on teams in the Duncan/Robinson era, especially with Elliott or Stephen Jackson at the SF. Now it seems like we’re constantly giving up a ton of size, having Brent Barry guarding Lamar Odom, George Hill on Josh Howard, etc., as Pop plays Tinyball. It’s hard to blame Pop, though, because our best players have often been 4 smalls + Timmy. I would love to make teams adjust to us, with Duncan and a legitimate 4 next to him, plus Gist (who’s like a 3.5).
I would also like to see the FO make an attempt to buy Splitter out of his contract. I know he’ll be a free agent in another year, but the team could contend next year if they get the right pieces around the big 3. That may not be true much longer, as Tim and Manu are on the downside of their careers, and you often see stars’ production drop off suddenly and precipitously, and one day they wake up and no longer have “it.” In the past I would have said “no way” would that happen, given their cheapness, but we’ll see. Pop probably sees the writing on the wall and will impress upon ownership that there are only a few more years left where contending at a championship level will be possible with the current crew; we’ll just have to see if the Spurs offer a buyout, and if Tau would accept.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Anyone else get the feeling we're never going to see Splitter
there was always speculation about whether or not he’d even make himself available in the draft, and once he finally did, well we know how thats working out.
Furthermore, the longer we wait, the higher the expectations….when the fact of the matter is, no one really knows how well he’ll do in the NBA. What if his ceiling is someone like Drew Gooden? I think we might be better off just trading his rights for someone we could actually use now.
Id prefer Chandler over Camby. So if we could someone how pry him away, add him to Ian and maybe even Sheed, that’d be pretty sweet.
Also, any idea if Gooden and Sheed are mutually exclusive? Could we afford both?
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
I believe san antonio will be getting splitter.
In 2010 they will have the money to lure him away from Europe.
In the very likely event that the spurs DO NOT sign Dwayne Wayde,Bosh etc…..it would only make sense to get splitter, who is already one of the best players in europe, and only getting better….
I dont see Wade leaving Miami
And we can only hope Bosh wants to return to Texas, the San Antonio part anyway
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
I think Gooden will end up testing free agency, in that case, we gotta get either Sheed, Camby, or Chandler.
As for small forward, I don’t see the Lakers letting Ariza walk, so Klezia may be our best shot.
by Linix129 on May 2, 2009 12:07 PM CDT reply actions
On Ariza – I think we can get him. If we at least make a run at him, we may force the Lakers to may for the Lakers into a difficult decision – pay him more than they really want to, and further tie their hands with respect to the salary cap; or let him go. Bynum is getting a $10M raise next year, and Odom(usually a double-double) is also a free agent. Either Odom or Ariza won’t be back, maybe both – and even without them, the Lakers are paying a team salary of over $74M next year… well over the expected new salary cap. At some point, they won’t be able to afford to keep their players.
http://hoopshype.com/salaries/la_lakers.htm
F*#@ you, fate! - Latin D
I love the idea of Ariza, but not of Kleiza. Maybe it’s just because I’ve seen him play more (living in Denver), but he’s either hot or cold. I can’t stand another season like that out of our SF. Kleiza thrives in the running game (best guy on the break for Denver) and when he’s on, he can light it up. However, he’s a bad defender and when his shot is off, he looks lost on the floor. He’s a bench player only.
rikkido, that was an excellent post. great analysis.
i had totally forgotten about Kleiza. I think he may be a realistic option. He is a big 3, decent rebounder, good shooter, and from what i’ve seen an underrated ballhandler. I don’t know what kind of defender he is though, i’m assuming since he’s a nugget he’s not a good one. Anyways the nuggets have several guys that we could potentially make a run at via trade or free agency including: Smith (who supposedly we are always trying to sign), Dahntay Jones, Renaldo Balkman (wishing he was the reincarnation of Rolando Blackman). Jones, Smith and Kleiza will all be free agents so its unlikely with the cap situation that Denver could sign all 3. I’d probably prefer Kleiza out of those 4. I like Balkman as a defense and energy guy though – what don’t really have one of those.
Ariza would be the best option but as everyone else has mentioned we’d probably have to pay too much to get him, and that won’t happen, and he’s probably not worth it
If Sheed will take a 2 yr. 6 mi. contract i’d nab him – i think he’d be re-energized by playing here
I’d like to remind everyone that Camby is like 36 – even though he doesn’t play like it…when he’s not injured that is
Chandler would be great, but do you think the Hornets would take Bowen, Fab, and Bonner in return, even if the are all expiring contracts?
and i agree with Bren that i don’t think we will ever see Splitter in silver and black, and i’m unfortunately getting that feeling about Mahinmi too (at least for longer than a few games).
i like everyone’s ideas though. a lot of them are pretty realistic and would seem like they would really help the team, which unfortunately means they probably won’t happen…How did everything about the spurs get so negative
What about Shawn Marion? If we can get him for small money?
by Linix129 on May 2, 2009 1:46 PM CDT reply actions
#1.Get rid of Ime Udoka.
#2. Get rid of Ime Udoka.
#3.Get rid of JV.
#4.Alot of people in here that love to bash FIn will love to hear that he was the third most reliable person for us in the playoffs ( albeit that is not saying alot for the rest of the team)
So maybe keep michael in a reduced roll.
#5. Fab has fallen off the face of the earth. Should probably get rid of him.
#6. I love kurts hustle and man to man D. But he cant rebound or block a shot….So im up in there air about him.
#7. Matty Bonner is gone. I guarantee it. He reminds me of Hedo . Great in the regular season. Disppeared when things got rough.
#8. SHould we resign drew? Yea, only if we cant get anyone else, ie…sheed, mcdyess..etc
Im not even going to speculate on the Cambys, Arizas and Ben Gordons of the world, deep down everyone knows that these are pipe dreams.
Reality>>>>>
If Mahinmi can stay healthy , maybe he can be the energy shot blocking big that we do not have.
Maybe Hairston will develop a shot. He has potential.
Georgie Hill will only be better next season.
Sheed? Sure,ink him to a one year deal. MAYBE two.
Anyone in here think Pops mensah bonsu could have helped us more next season than Fabio will be?
Alamo, you crack me up dude. Just saw this little gem on the express-news website.
Its a good thing Matt has read up on those parenthood books. Maybe he can squeeze in a few volumes on how not to choke in the post-season.
F*#@ you, fate! - Latin D
Kurt rebounded just fine in the regular season.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Touche Ld. Kurt did in fact rebound well during the regular season…and even the postseason ( per minute anyway) Though he still cant block a shot or make a post move…
The thing that is most bothersome is that….the celtics can lose theyre best big man ( arguably theyre best player KG) and then theyre second best big man ( Leon powe) and still have two guys step in and average 18 pts 7 rebs 46% shooting ( glen davis) and 13 pts 57% shooting, 12 rebs( Perkins)….allowing them to continue playing well in the regular season , and well enough to advance past the first round…..( This bull team very well may have beaten this years incarnation of the spurs)
Does anyone think our third and fourth best big guys could hope to post those kind of numbers( even in this oddly UNdefense oriented series) ??
Bostons third and fourth best big men are better than our second best big man. Thats troubling.
You can make a case drew was hurt from the game two fall, or didnt get enough minutes….but that still means that theyre third and fourth best bigs are better than our third best BY A MILE.
The argument that san antonio is the most UNathletic and UNtalented team in the league is no longer a moniker of the haters. Its now the very painfull truth.
STILL THOUGH….George might become the extra guy we desperatly need to get to the hoop.
Ian might actually play .
SHeed would help this team.
If hairston develops a shot…hes in the rotation.
There is hope for us before 2010 ( when we get splitter and get younger all around)
Why we still need Kurt: 4 games vs Yao and likely 4 vs Shaq. We need his physicality and smarts spending minutes on those guys so TD won’t have to guard them all game, which unless we get Camby, is what will happen. I also like how KT sets solid screens. We need more physicality and toughness not less.
i have been pulling for the spurs to somehow get charlie villaneuva – but sheed seems more likely…..but i dont think much of sheed as a human. i do get why he would be attractive to the spurs.
i am definitely for more of hairston/mahinmi/gist/splitter – whatever subset of those guys can get.
ariza would be a good guy to get for his skill set and for his youth. seems like a pipe dream though.
TD
One thing to throw into the mix: TD is probably going to be limited by Pop to 25 -30 minutes max next season. So from an offensive production standpoint, we probably will be able to get 15+ points and 8 – 10 rebounds a game out of him. So someone will have to make up some of those points. And, of course, his defensive presence will be limited.
Some additional FAs
What about Josh Childress? Solid team defender, better offensive player than either Udoka or Bowen.
His name has been kicked around here since last year
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
Boozer and Millsap
All season I heard Utah was going to pull a Toronto (See Ford and Calderon) where they would kill depth because having one good player is better than two (where one is willing to come off the bench of a winning team). Due to age, everyone thought Boozer was the one to walk. He stepped up against LA though. Boozer looks like he’s 35 but he is Parker’s age.
Any chance of those guys?
Unrelated side note: Anyone see the +23 FT’s Denver got on Dallas after Timmy was at the police station after every playoff game being asked to point on the trading card where the bad men touched him?
That was funny
Refs allow way too much contact on top post men in the paint (TD and Yao take a huge amount of abuse with nothing to show for it) but they do call the lighter contact on guards and small forwards who drive into the paint… well, except for Tony in game 1, but I digress. It’s yet another reason why Manu’s absence was huge.
tim duncan free throw attempts
regular season: 483 FTA on 1107 FGA or .436 FTA/FGA
postseason: Game 4 is being thrown out because TD got 18 FT’s on 13 FGA’s, in the 82 regular season games his high FTA’s was 13 twice, knicks and golden state, and we know the pace and defense they play… so in games 1,2, 3 and 5…Duncan had 10 FTA on 64 FGA or .156 FTA/FGA
At say 67% FT shooting that is like losing .19 pts per attempt. That is around 12 pts in 4 games in the playoffs if you can convince me the Dallas series was as physical as an average regular season game. That alone probably doesn’t change the outcome of a game but if TD gets his due, then we put Dampier/others in foul trouble and the Mavs over the limit. In the 5 games we were -16 on FTA’s net. Even in that game TD had 18 FTA, we were -5 with Spurs at 34 FTA and the Mavs at 39.
I’m sorry but I’m still struggling with how the Spurs lost in 5….in 5? Longhorn football can’t start soon enough.
Denver’s style is perfect for the way the game is now called. dallas will learn soon enough, if not already, that the physical abuse they handed out in round two will not work. I also like that Denver is making sure fouls on Drik are physical. If they’re gonna baby him might as well get your moneys worth. Much better than Bonner getting in foul trouble for standing too close to Dirk.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Here are my recommendations
I think what is obvious is that we need to get rid of the old players, my personal belief is that the core Spurs ought to build around (i.e. the untouchables) are Parker, Duncan, Manu, Hill, and Mahinmi. I think that Gooden will be too expensive to resign, Bowen, Oberto, and Finley are too old, and Thomas, Bonner, and Mason are expendable for the right price. Please do not re-sign Udoka or Vaughn.
I believe the guys at 48minutes has been dealing with this rather extensively, here are a list of players I’ve considered:
SMALL FORWARD: What the Spurs need in their SF slot is quite simply someone that can play solid (not necessarily lockdown, but solid) defense on the opposing team’s best perimeter player, I’m ok with him not being a 3pt specialist if he can create his own shot. Preferably though someone that can hit enough 3s to keep defenses honest. I think the biggest need of the Spurs next season, the short and sweet would be simply; a Michael Finley/Bruce Bowen replacement/upgrade.
Walter Herrmann – I would spout on and on, I’ve mentioned his name several times already: take it away LatinD
Trevor Ariza – Though I’m inclined to believe that LA would keep him before Lamar Odom, at least I would
Wilson Chandler – Do we think he’s good enough to take Jared Jeffries’s contract? I’m almost willing to try it
Richard Jefferson – $13 mil per year for a while, a little expensive… very expensive, but another possibility
Marvin Williams – My no. 1 wish for the Spurs to pick up in free agency. I hope Hawks’ front office is stupid and throws too much money at Mike Bibby
Josh Childress – I doubt he’s coming back, but I can hope
Tayshaun Prince – My top pick for replacing Bruce Bowen. Given that Dumars is willing to trade him is amazing, however, you’d have to work a three way deal out as I doubt Dumars would be so dumb as to trade him for future cap space
Hedo Turkoglu – I doubt that Spurs could offer anything better than the Magic, and he wants to stay in Orlando, still can hope
Linas Kleiza – I don’t mind him, but I’d rather have Herrmann
Jamario Moon – Kind of like a Trevor Ariza clone, I’d dig it
Rudy Gay – I wish.
Joe Alexander – If he gets thrown in with Richard Jefferson, sure
Ron Artest – I’m about 50/50 on him.
POWER FORWARD: We need to find someone here or at the C position that can play next to Timmy. I’d actually rather find someone that’s a C, but hey, I’ll take what I can get. I’m not putting up players like Millsap, Bass, and such as they’re just undersized hustle players, who I don’t think add a lot, they’d ultimately be doing what the Spurs drafted Mahinmi for. Basically, someone that can help Timmy by hitting jumpers, and also good at defending the opposing bigs.
Rasheed Wallace – I’d prefer if we could sign him for less than $8 million ($3.5-5 million for 2 years?), as we can’t even sign him if he goes for $8 million
Al Harrington – Kind of surprising, but I think Spurs might be able to get the most out of him
CENTER: I think we should invest most in this position.
Marcus Camby – Obviously there’s a platoon in Clipperland, this trade almost went down, and maybe it can be made to happen, I think one of the centers has to go
Chris Kaman – See above
Tyson Chandler – I’m actually not very keen on Tyson Chandler, as he’s kind of like the Ben Wallace of centers, and he would take Timmy out of the post, I have the same reservations for Kaman too
Mehmet Okur – Looooooonnnnng shot, but hey, he MIGHT opt out, and HECK YES if he does
SHOOTING GUARD – Pretty similar to the needs for Small Forward, he’d probably start ahead of Manu, so he’d have to also learn how to get hot early and make the most of highly regulated minutes
Marco Bellinelli – It’s not like Don Nelson plays him anyways
Wally Sczerbiak – Don’t laugh, but only if he’s cheap, if he asks for more than $2 M, then laugh away
POINT GUARD – A backup if George Hill doesn’t pan out
CJ Watson – Defensive minded guard that can hit 3s
Flip Murray – Not really a PG, but hey, he might work too
Poor Man's GM @ jacemannba.blogspot.com
Herrmann would be good. He can shoot the 3, he has incredibly huge hands, and he’s strong. I’m not sold on his consistency, though, not in the NBA – but the truth is that he hasn’t been given a real shot in the NBA. He was playing solidly in Charlotte when he was inexplicably benched.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Charlotte has a tendency to do a lot of inexplicable things.
Beyond not playing Herrmann, they benched Nazr Mohammed after he averaged 17 pt/10 rbds for a stretch of like 7 games.
Poor Man's GM @ jacemannba.blogspot.com
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Featured Stories
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Video: Boston works in a half-court football snap after winning the tip
- Judging the choices for the Eastern Conference All-Star team reserves
- Judging the choices for the Western Conference All-Star team reserves
- Jeremy Lin draws inspiration from Tim Tebow
- Stephen Jackson is already tired of Milwaukee
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
